Barcelona president Joan Laporta says it is “unrealistic” that record goalscorer Lionel Messi will return to the club, but he wants to hold a tribute match.
Forward Messi, 37, made a surprise visit to the Nou Camp last week, saying he wants to come back, and “not just to say goodbye as a player”.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona for Paris St-Germain in 2021. He moved to Inter Miami in 2023 and last month signed a new contract which runs until 2028.
Laporta told Catalunya Radio: “For me to make speculation that is unrealistic, nor do I think is fair, I believe that is not appropriate.”
Laporta said Messi’s time at Barcelona did not end the way he would have liked – his contract was not extended against a backdrop of financial issues at the club.
But Laporta said he hopes to stage a match once the Nou Camp reopens after renovation.
“It would be right that he has the best tribute in the world, and it would be wonderful to have it here, in front of 105,000 fans,” he said.
Messi scored 672 goals in a record 778 games for Barcelona, winning 10 La Liga titles and the Champions League four times among other honours.
Analysis: The End of a Dream and the Promise of a Proper Farewell
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has officially closed the door on one of the most persistent speculations in modern football: the return of Lionel Messi to the club where he became a legend. His recent comments confirm that while a sporting comeback is off the table, the club is committed to honoring its greatest-ever player with a fitting tribute.
The Finality of “Unrealistic”
Laporta’s choice of the word “unrealistic” is significant. It moves beyond the previous realm of “difficult” or “complicated” and into the territory of finality. This statement is likely aimed at managing the expectations of the club’s passionate fanbase, who have clung to the hope of seeing Messi don the Blaugrana jersey one last time. The primary obstacle remains the same as it was in 2021: the club’s dire financial situation. Despite La Liga’s easing of financial regulations, the monumental cost of re-signing a global icon like Messi, even in the latter stages of his career, is a burden Barcelona simply cannot shoulder. Furthermore, his long-term contract with Inter Miami, running until 2028, legally binds him to the MLS club, making a transfer implausible.
A Departure That Still Stings
Both Laporta and Messi have acknowledged that the Argentine’s departure was not the farewell he deserved. Forced out due to financial constraints, Messi’s emotional press conference in 2021 was a painful moment for the football world. Laporta’s current push for a tribute match is a clear attempt to heal that wound and rewrite the ending of Messi’s Barcelona story. It is an admission that the club owes him a proper, celebratory send-off, one that allows the fans to express their gratitude and allows Messi to say goodbye on the pitch, surrounded by the adulation of the Camp Nou faithful.
The Future Tribute: A Camp Nou Spectacle
The proposed tribute match is poised to be a historic event in the world of sports. Laporta’s vision of hosting it in a renovated Camp Nou, in front of 105,000 spectators, underscores its intended scale. This would not be a mere friendly but a global spectacle, likely featuring a host of former teammates and rivals, celebrating a career that defined a generation. The timing, post-renovation, also strategically links the club’s future with its glorious past, using Messi’s legacy to inaugurate a new era for the stadium.
For Messi, this offer provides the closure he has publicly sought. His recent visit to Barcelona and his comments about wanting to return “not just to say goodbye” hinted at a deeper longing for reconnection with the club. While a playing return is now definitively ruled out, this tribute serves as the next best thing—a ceremonial homecoming that immortalizes his bond with Barcelona and its fans.
A Legacy Etched in Stone
Regardless of the abrupt end to his playing career there, Lionel Messi’s legacy at Barcelona is unassailable. His statistics—672 goals, 778 appearances, 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League trophies—only tell part of the story. He is the embodiment of Barcelona’s golden era, a player whose magic became synonymous with the club’s identity. The proposed tribute match is the final, necessary chapter to ensure that his story concludes not with financial paperwork, but with the roaring applause of the Catalan capital.
